"Tamiflu: Millions wasted on flu drug, claims major report"

From the BBC:

Hundreds of millions of pounds have been wasted on a drug for flu that works better than paracetamol, a landmark analysis has said.

The UK has spent £473m on Tamiflu, which is stockpiled by governments globally to prepare for flu pandemics.

Countdown

The Trade Union Congress claimed the drug helped prevent the spread of flu and reduce dangerous complications, thus depriving millions of workers a well-earned extra couple of days off once or twice a year, which most choose to spend in bed watching daytime television.

Loose women

TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady said: "The NHS was a great post-war Labour achievement, intended to help the neediest in society.

"But it seems that it is now little more than a mechanism to force our hardworking members to pay for treatments which prevent them from taking some much deserved time off work on full pay. That's sort of missing the point, isn't it?"

Homes under the hammer

The manufacturers Roche and other experts say the analysis is flawed and in a surprising retraction, Roche have now claimed that Tamiflu is a mere placebo with no medical benefits whatsoever.